Although often regarded as a European benchmark for efficiency and performance, Switzerland’s rail network requires continued investment to meet growing demand and remain up to date. Numerous improvement schemes are either under way or in the pipeline. According to the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), significant milestones were reached in 2024, as outlined in detail in its annual progress report.
Nevertheless, despite these intermediate achievements, the broader expansion of the rail network is falling behind expectations. At the same time, substantial additional costs are coming to light, requiring extra funding now deemed essential to deliver the service enhancements outlined in investment plans running through to 2035. The railways estimate that nearly 15 billion euros will be needed over the next decade to support these goals. Much of the current investment is focused on improving passenger services through station upgrades and increased line capacity, enabling more frequent services. However, some projects could also yield benefits for freight transport. One such initiative – perhaps the most significant – has effectively stalled: the completion of the Lötschberg base tunnel’s second bore.
In March 2024, after overcoming considerable political opposition, the Federal Parliament approved plans for the full-scale completion of the 34.6-kilometre base tunnel, replacing an earlier proposal for a partial extension. This decision acknowledged that the phased construction approach chosen back in 2007 had led to rapid saturation of the line. Once fully duplicated, all freight trains will be able to pass through the new tunnel, significantly boosting the route’s overall capacity and performance compared to the current reliance on the older mountain route.
However, a complex legal saga is now hampering progress. Only the preliminary work packages are advancing as scheduled, with the exception of remediation works in the Kandertal and Mitholz service shafts. The approval of the Mitholz shaft faced a legal challenge before the Federal Administrative Court, which was dismissed in November 2024, including a request for suspension of works. As a result, construction resumed in February 2025.
Yet complications persist. A separate appeal was lodged against the approval of the now-defunct partial expansion plan. This too was rejected by administrative judges at the end of 2024, but that decision has since been appealed to federal authorities. Publication of the revised plans, reflecting the full-scale tunnel expansion endorsed by Parliament, will only be possible once this appeal has been resolved. The FOT hopes for a resolution by the end of 2025. The timeline foresees the new Lötschberg tunnel becoming operational by 2035, but only if the current impasse is overcome.
In 2024, several projects entered new planning phases. A preliminary design was launched for additional tracks at the Basel marshalling yard, while plans in Chiasso and Romont (between Lausanne and Fribourg) advanced to the publication and final design stages respectively – focused on isolated wagonload traffic and performance enhancement. Meanwhile, the planning approval process also began for the extension of freight tracks at Maroggia-Melano.
Progress remains on track for other major schemes, including the Brütten tunnel (Zurich–Winterthur), the new double-track section between Morges and Perroy approved by Parliament, and the initial definition of the "ligne directe" between Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds. Construction is also moving swiftly on the double-track extension between Grellingen and Duggingen.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
